topic TEA recommendations in Kitchen

TEA recommendations

qualitygal — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:11:42 GMT

In colder months I may want a hot drink not coffee, so do you as a tea drinker, have a suggestion as to a nice, soothing tea to sip on in the afternoons? I'm just not a tea drinker yet.

All suggestions would be appreciated. Nothing heavy, just light in flavor.

Re: TEA recommendations

Laura14 — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:20:12 GMT

My favorite light tea right now is vanilla honey chamomile. There is also one called Sleepytime which is a version of that. I use them both as bedtime teas.

I also love peppermint but it's not light on flavor depending on what you mean by that. It definitely is peppermint in your mouth.

I've been in love with Irish Breakfast and Oolong for a while now but they are caffeinated and if you like steaming they would probably not be considered light in flavor.

I don't brew my water piping hot nor do I let anything steep too long because I'm not one to have strong flavors in my mouth. Hence, never developed a taste for coffee. Slightly flavored hot water is my go to.

Re: TEA recommendations

Danky — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:28:42 GMT

I have never been a coffee drinker but I have been drinking tea since I was about 6-7 years old. I grew up on Lipton or Tetley and I still use both but exclusively for my sweet iced tea.

For hot tea I have been using Harney&Sons for about 25 years. I never add milk.......just real sugar and ,sometimes, lemon.

Re: TEA recommendations

Danky — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:45:04 GMT

@Laura14 wrote:
My favorite light tea right now is vanilla honey chamomile. There is also one called Sleepytime which is a version of that. I use them both as bedtime teas.

I also love peppermint but it's not light on flavor depending on what you mean by that. It definitely is peppermint in your mouth.

I've been in love with Irish Breakfast and Oolong for a while now but they are caffeinated and if you like steaming they would probably not be considered light in flavor.

I don't brew my water piping hot nor do I let anything steep too long because I'm not one to have strong flavors in my mouth. Hence, never developed a taste for coffee. Slightly flavored hot water is my go to.

@Laura14-----your post made me smile and brought back memories of sitting at the Breakfast Room table with my Grandmother, 60 years ago, and sipping tea together always in thin China tea cups. Both cups were made from one teabag !

Re: TEA recommendations

Laura14 — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:46:52 GMT

@Danky That is so sweet! I don't do that but I definitely only let my tea steep for about 1-2 minutes rather than the four they say you should plus my water is not boiling because I like my taste buds and no milk.

Re: TEA recommendations

momoftwo2007 — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 19:02:20 GMT

Yes, as @Laura14 suggested Sleepytime or Honey Vanila Chamomile from Celestial Seasonings are perfect for beginner tea drinkers. They are Herbal teas and caffeine free. Celestial Seasoning also has a herbal tea sampler pack that you can buy to try to see which one you like best.

TAZO Tea's Calm Chamomile is very good, too.

If you would like tea with Caffeine, Celestial Seasonings also has a variey of Green Teas.

Re: TEA recommendations

Laura14 — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 19:05:26 GMT

@momoftwo2007 wrote:
Yes, as @Laura14 suggested Sleepytime or Honey Vanila Chamomile from Celestial Seasonings are perfect for beginner tea drinkers. They are Herbal teas and caffeine free. Celestial Seasoning also has a herbal tea sampler pack that you can buy to try to see which one you like best.
TAZO Tea's Calm Chamomile is very good, too.

If you would like tea with Caffeine, Celestial Seasonings also has a variey of Green Teas.

Thumbs up from me too. I loved this sampler but fair warning the Lemon Zinger is REALLY a zinger (I personally don't care for it and I love lemon but not this kind of flavor) and the Peppermint is REALLY peppermint which I do like. Best one I had yet.

The other three are probably exactly what you are looking for.

Re: TEA recommendations

QVCkitty1 — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 19:12:21 GMT

I like strong black tea, I drink " Red Rose " with a squeeze of lemon and Splenda.

Re: TEA recommendations

qualitygal — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 19:37:55 GMT

Wow, thanks ladies, we shop tomorrow so I'll check these out. Thanks again.

Re: TEA recommendations

SilleeMee — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 19:38:31 GMT

I drink matcha. I buy a ceremonial blend matcha powder from a local Asian market but you can find it at many places that sell quality teas. Matcha has caffeine so I only drink it in the morning.

Re: TEA recommendations

michigangirl723 — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 19:54:15 GMT

I'm not a coffee person...have drank tea since I was little. My favorite brand is Harney & Sons...lately I've been drinking their "Paris", "Vanilla Comoro", and "Apricot". Tazo is also a good brand. Their "Peach Cobbler" is really yummy! Hope you find something you like!

Re: TEA recommendations

x Hedge — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 20:58:02 GMT

Tazo 'Green Ginger' - I drop a few pieces of dried, candied ginger and a sugar-like sweeter into a 20oz CorningWare cup with a Tazo Green Ginger teabag. Add boiling water, stir and steep.

Yum!

Re: TEA recommendations

Harpa — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 21:45:24 GMT

@michigangirl723 wrote:
I'm not a coffee person...have drank tea since I was little. My favorite brand is Harney & Sons...lately I've been drinking their "Paris", "Vanilla Comoro", and "Apricot". Tazo is also a good brand. Their "Peach Cobbler" is really yummy! Hope you find something you like!

Love Harney teas!! So many lovely teas! But my favorite is Boston, black - flavored w/ cranberry & almond. I love their Paris, too! Also, the fig!

I indulge in one cup of black per day; the rest of the time I drink green teas: matcha in the a.m. and green teas from The Republic of Tea - pomegranate or blueberry or whatever!

@michigangirl723

That peach cobbler sounds good! I'll look for it!

Re: TEA recommendations

SilleeMee — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 21:58:47 GMT

@x Hedge,

I've never tried that Tazo tea before. It sounds so good. I put it on my shopping list! Thanks for the rec.

Re: TEA recommendations

michigangirl723 — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 22:22:38 GMT

@Harpa

They are the best brand teas right?! So flavorful.

I've never tried the Boston one. Sounds delicious and with the Almond/Cranberry flavors sounds very holiday! Going to have to order some.

I also drink Prince of Peace brand Green Tea with Jasmine...my fav green tea.

With all this talk of tea, I'm going to go steep myself a cup now!

Re: TEA recommendations

Tigriss — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 23:04:11 GMT

So many of the others are right; you don't use boiling water. Here is a guide from stashtea.com I drink many of their teas along with others. I've also linked some articled on brewing the right tea. I"m looking into the Harney & Sons teas, as I've not heard of them in this deep southern, rural pocket. We get sweet tea that is like syrup, so I cut my tea with 2/3 unsweet and 1/3 sweet for iced tea. I have a tea kettle that brews to several specific temperatures. You can get these from Amazon and others, but I got mine for $10 at WalMart down here on clearance. It is stainless steel and brews to the different temps and keeps the water that temp for hours.

The below is from Stash Tea, a retailer, so I didn't post their link.

How to Get That Perfect Cup of Tea

To make a tea stronger, don’t steep it for longer. Unless it’s an herbal, steeping a tea for too long will make it bitter rather than strong. Instead, add more tea leaves or bags!
As a general rule, use one level teaspoon or 2 grams for every cup (8 oz) you’re making. Fluffier ingredients like mint and chamomile, or teas with larger leaves like green tea or oolong could use an extra teaspoon.
Tea bag teas are usually one per cup (8 oz) of tea, though you can always double-up when you want it stronger!
Spring water is ideal for brewing, but not necessary for making a good cup of tea. If possible, use fresh cold water. Never use water from the hot water tap. Let the tap water run for a few seconds until it is quite cold; this ensures that the water is aerated (full of oxygen) to release the full flavor of the tea leaves.
Try not to let your water reach a rolling boil, as that will release oxygen and result in a flat-tasting cup of tea.
If brewing with loose leaf tea, there are several different types of infusers available; sometimes you’ll need to experiment a little until you find the perfect one for you.
Many teas are good for a second (even third!) steeping. Multiple steepings can bring out more subtle flavors and notes. Commonly, oolong, green tea, white tea and pu-erh fall into this category. Give it a shot—you might end up liking the second infusion better than the first!

If a tea doesn’t taste quite right the first time around, experiment with changing the steeping time, water temperature, and tea amount until you find the flavor you enjoy.

Our Fool-Proof Guide to the Perfect Iced Tea

General Tips

Use twice as much tea as you normally would. This will make sure your iced tea is bold in flavor.
Add your sugar or sweetener while the tea is still hot. If your iced tea is already chilled, we recommend adding agave nectar to sweeten your tea; unlike sugar or honey, agave will easily dissolve in cold tea.
You can use tea bags or loose leaf tea. Not all pitchers come with a handy infuser for loose tea brewing, but filter bags work in a pinch!

How to Brew

Put in 2 teaspoons of loose tea or 2 tea bags for every cup (8 oz) of tea.
Fill your pitcher or glass halfway with hot water.
Let the tea steep for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on personal preference.
Fill the pitcher or glass up the rest of the way with cold water, then take out the tea leaves or bags.
Pour your tea over ice and serve.

https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/common-mistakes/article/hot-tea-common-mistakes

https://www.bonappetit.com/drinks/non-alcoholic/article/tea-steeping-guide

Re: TEA recommendations

Sooner — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 23:08:59 GMT

My favorite for afternoon tea is Darjeeling. I drink it plain with no milk or sugar. I like Oolongs as well.

Favorite places to get tea are Harney Tea and Upton Tea (online only). Stash is good, as well as Twinings. There are also teas from England and Ireland in many markets now that make a good strong cup usually with a little milk and sugar added.

I am not a big fan of flavored teas, but remember drinking Constant Comment when I was in junior high school.

We also drink a lot of iced tea with NO sugar!

Re: TEA recommendations

x Hedge — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 23:47:54 GMT

@SilleeMee wrote:
@x Hedge,
I've never tried that Tazo tea before. It sounds so good. I put it on my shopping list! Thanks for the rec.

@SilleeMee, hope you love it as I do.

It's the only tea I can drink in all seasons.

I count on that 20oz cup mid-day to stay well hydrated.

I'm not overly fond of green tea, but the touch of ginger & sweetner makes it really appeal to me. I always eat the ginger slices at the bottom of the cup!

Re: TEA recommendations

Sooner — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 02:03:27 GMT

You can mix green tea with black tea, especially for iced tea, to get the benefits and not so much the taste.

Re: TEA recommendations

FranandZoe — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 02:56:13 GMT

I love a strong black tea also. I grew up on Red Rose - drank it for over 55 years - but a few years ago I discovered Twinings Irish Breakfast tea - best ever - I'm addicted to it and won't drink anything else.

I use 1 Sweet & Low and a few tablespoons of 1% milk - delish.